Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 411
4-11 t *. He raised among them prophet' after prophet to keep,. them in the ways of religion and truth But the Israelites repeatedly angered their Lord Who> however, out of His mercy, pardoned them and d'id not withdraw His blessing from them. * Again and again did they rebel, and again and again did He pardon them, but with a warning that if they persisted in their evil course they would lose His favour. But the hard-hearted Jews did not mend their con- duct ; they stunk to their evil practices. God raised among them His prophets to show them His favours, but they turned against these very p'rophets and began to put them to serious troubles. This was going too far. So far ; God had generally connived at their wicked deeds, and if He ever punished : them, the punish- ment did not appear in the form of the withdrawal of the blessing of prophethood. But now He meant to do this. First He raised among them John who was the son of Zechariah. This John was born to Zechariah when the latter was too old and infirm to be- get a child. His wife too was apparently quite barren. Thus all the worldly means for the birth of a child were missing. But Zechariah prayed to his God to bless him with a male child; and God granted his supplications. So John was born, but as already stated, he was born under such circumstances that he can hardly be attributed to the house of Israel, for though born of Israelite parents his birth -was in the form of a miracle which had taken place under the special bounty of the Almighty God. This was the first step in the transference of prophethood from the house of Israel, for John, though to all appearance an Israelite, was not a true Israelite, as already explained. T-tie first step was taken and the Jews were given a forewarning of the impending change. But they stuck to -their old ways. The warning was thrown to the winds. Then followed the second and the last step in the act of transference. Christ was born of a woman who had never